Ripcord

Screaming Eagles Under Siege, Vietnam 1970

De: Keith W. Nolan

Narrado por: George Spelvin

On April 10, 1970, Hill 927 was occupied by troopers of the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division. By July, the activities of the artillery and infantry of Ripcord had caught the attention of the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) and a long and deadly siege ensued. Ripcord was the Screaming Eagles's last chance to do significant damage to the NVA in the A Shau Valley before the division was withdrawn from Vietnam and returned to the United States.

At Ripcord, the enemy counterattacked with ferocity, using mortar and antiaircraft fire to inflict heavy causalities on the units operating there. The battle lasted four and a half months and exemplified the ultimate frustration of the Vietnam War: the inability of the American military to bring to bear its enormous resources to win on the battlefield. In the end, the 101st evacuated Ripcord, leaving the NVA in control of the battlefield. Contrary to the mantra "We won every battle but lost the war", the United States was defeated at Ripcord. Now, at last, the full story of this terrible battle can be told.

©2000 Keith William Nolan (P)2021 Tantor

Unbelievable

“Ripcord” is a stunning work of a battle/battles that could have been won had American troops been actually supported. It’s maddening and frightening. Keith Nolan takes the reader into the heart of the conflict and makes the reader feel all emotions. It’s a roller coaster and how anyone got through it is a wonder. Brilliant retelling and narration.

Entertaining and detailed overview

I very much enjoyed this book and its treatment of firebase ripcord. Throughout much of it, it almost read like a novel grabbing and holding my attention. My only complaint is the author frequently makes a mistake of calling some of the VC/NVA‘s weapons AK50s. Honestly, it doesn’t bother me much but some of my more militantly gun nut friends would probably have an aneurysm hearing that. It’s also an odd mistake to make as the author also refers to them correctly as AK-47s. Sometimes he even refers to AK-47s and AK 50s in the same paragraph. Otherwise the book is great and I highly recommend the purchase 

courage of the soldiers and stupidity of senior officers

i hadn’t heard or read about this battle before. it is as good and important a story as We were young and soldiers once

day to day activities

The day to activities civilians don't know about. It seems even in the military you have those want promotions regardless of the human cost.

The 101st at the end of the Vietnam War

This is one of the best books I have heard. The bloody battle to hold firebase Ripcord was highly detailed and well-researched. You got the well-documented feelings of the men that were used as bait, the company commanders that had to rally their men, and what the battalion commanders thought at a time when America was leaving Vietnam.

Great.

An excellent look into one of the last major actions of the war for the US

Fantastic

The bravery these men showed in the face of almost certain death astonishes me. The fact that most were forced to be there at the behest of a backward thinking government only adds to the admiration I have for these men.

Fantastic detailed account

I highly recommend getting the audio and Kindle/hardcopy due to all of the specialized military terms. The audiobook performance was excellent and really added to the enjoyment of the book.
The drama and heroism going on in and around Ripcord doesn't take a back seat to any battle in any war. If you are like me and haven't yet read any detailed accounts of Vietnam battles, do yourself a favor and take a look at this book.

Great book ok narrator

I love books by Keith Nolan. Ripcord is one of his best. The narrator did a great job until Part 7. For some reason he became very dramatic to the point it was hard to listen to. It's still worth the purchase though. Nolan's writing outweighs the performance of the narrator.

Great book if you’re interested in learning more about the Vietnam War!

George Spelvin is my favorite narrator! And this book is no different. Great narration and a great story